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Houck

Houck is set to miss the majority of the 2026 season while recovering from a hybrid reconstruction of the right ulnar collateral ligament with flexor tendon repair in his right elbow, so this move was inevitable. If he does return, it would likely only be for a start or two in September where he’d still face workload limitations. Fantasy managers in redraft leagues can find better use of their late round picks.

Houck will likely miss most of next season after undergoing elbow surgery, but he’s also arbitration-eligible in 2027, so the Red Sox will have him under contract for two more years.

Houck is expected to miss most or all of next season following elbow surgery and has only two years to go before free agency, so it’s not an easy call, especially given that he really struggled before going down last season he’s due around $4 million in arbitration. Perhaps the two sides can work out a two-year deal with about a $4 million salary.

That this was a hybrid surgery rather than the normal Tommy John opens up the possibility that Houck could return late next year, and it probably makes it more likely that the Red Sox will retain him in the offseason. With two years to go before free agency, he seemed like a candidate to be non-tendered if he was ruled out for 2026.

It’s a brutal development for both Houck and the Red Sox, especially given the timing of the impending procedure, which likely sidelines him through the 2026 campaign. The 29-year-old right-hander has been out since mid-May with a flexor strain and ultimately couldn’t avoid elbow surgery after multiple setbacks. He posted a disastrous 8.04 ERA in nine starts to open the season, and at this point, it’s fair to question whether he remains in Boston’s long-term rotation plans.

Nothing has changed in the prognosis for the 29-year-old right-hander, this was done merely as a procedural move to free up a spot on the team’s 40-man roster. The Red Sox are still in the process of seeking opinions on Houck’s right flexor pronator strain and there remains no clear timeline for when (of if) he’ll be able to return this season.

Houck was shutdown indefinitely Monday, and while Cora told reporters that surgery isn’t currently on the table, it sounds like it’s becoming more of a possibility. The right-hander hasn’t been ruled out for the season just yet, and it’s possible he could return before 2025 comes to a conclusion. It just doesn’t seem very plausible that Houck pitches for Boston before 2026.

Cora added that surgery isn’t currently on the table for Houck. The 29-year-old righty was shut down over the weekend after experiencing renewed flexor soreness. While he hasn’t been officially ruled out for the season, a return to Boston this year seems highly unlikely, which means Houck can be safely dropped in most fantasy formats.

It does not appear that the return has anything to do with an activation for Houck. The right-hander has been out of action since the middle of May because of his right flexor pronator strain, and there’s no timetable for when he’ll be able to rejoin the Boston pitching staff.

Houck struck out six and walked two on the day while throwing 61 percent of his pitches for strikes and posting a 39 percent whiff rate and 33 percent CSW. Despite a report of him hitting 101 mph on the radar gun, Houck sat 96 mph with his sinker and four-seam fastball. With Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins pitching well, there is no immediate spot in the rotation for Houck, but his stuff could play up in a bullpen role, possibly a long relief role for the second half.